John Sharp Crockett

John Sharp Crockett was born on April 25, 1895.

Crockett, his wife Ethel, and their children moved to Cochran County in 1931. The family settled on a 160-acre farm northwest of Morton, bringing horses, mules, chickens, pigs, and geese with them.

When the family arrived, there were no paved streets in Morton. The town consisted of Cox's Mercantile Store, two gas stations, one feed store, and a place where residents could bring their cream and eggs.

Crockett farmed from 1931 until 1935.

In 1934, despite his wife's disapproval, Crockett ran for Cochran County sheriff. He won the election and entered office on January 1, 1935.

In late October 1936, Sheriff Crockett was called to investigate the murder of Juanita Kelly, a local woman who had been reported missing. Her mutilated body was discovered buried in a field southwest of Morton.

The murder and its investigation made headlines across the nation for nearly a week. The case was also featured in two detective magazines in 1937.

When his term expired, Crockett ran for reelection. His wife, Ethel, remained so opposed to his serving as sheriff that she voted against him in the election.

After losing the election, Crockett and his family moved to Weed, New Mexico. They returned to Morton a short time later in 1938.

The following year, the family moved to Roswell, New Mexico, where Crockett helped build an Army base. Later that year, they moved to Trinidad, Colorado, where he helped construct a prison camp used to hold Japanese people during the war with Japan.

The Crockett family returned to Morton in 1942 and opened the Busy Bee Tavern. Crockett operated the tavern until Cochran County was voted dry.

Later in 1942, Crockett purchased the City Cafe on the north side of the square. The cafe became known for serving what was described as the best steak in West Texas. Crockett drove to Clovis, New Mexico, once each week to purchase half of a beef for the cafe.

John Sharp Crockett died of a heart attack on March 18, 1961, in Morton, Texas. He was 65 years old.

He was buried at Morton Memorial Cemetery in Morton, Texas.

Biography source: Adapted from Texas Sesquicentennial: Texas' Last Frontier, Cochran County, 1836–1986, Volume 1 . Copyright Cochran County Historical Commission. Written by Mildred Jackson circa 1985 and adapted by Mary Helen McKnight in 2016.